Materials tray

ABSTRACT

A materials tray for holding materials for a production line includes a main body, a plurality of receiving grooves located on the main body, and a plurality of spacing portions. Each spacing portion is between two adjacent receiving grooves to separate materials respectively received in the two adjacent receiving grooves, and each spacing portion defines at least one gap creating intercommunication between the two adjacent receiving grooves to ease extraction of the materials by the user.

FIELD

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a materials tray for holding materials of a production line.

BACKGROUND

Materials trays are widely used to hold materials such as printed circuit boards in a production line. A materials tray can include a plurality of recessed grooves for receiving materials. Each groove has a shape matching the shapes of the materials to be received and the groove is close-fitting around the material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a materials tray including a plurality of receiving grooves.

FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1, but viewed from another angle.

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2, but viewed from a reverse angle.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of receiving grooves of the materials tray of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is schematic view of the receiving grooves of FIG. 4 with materials received therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The disclosure, including the accompanying drawings, is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean “at least one.” The reference “a plurality of” means “at least two.”

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a materials tray 100 can be used in a production line for holding different materials, such as a first material 201, a second material 202, and a third material 203, all having different dimensions. In this embodiment, the materials 201, 202, 203 are printed circuit boards (PCB).

The materials tray 100 includes a main body 10, a plurality of receiving grooves 20 located on the main body 10, and a plurality of spacing portions 30. Each spacing portion 30 is located between two adjacent receiving grooves 20 to separate the two adjacent receiving grooves 20 from each other. In this embodiment, a number of the spacing portions 30 are equal to a number of the receiving grooves 20 minus one.

The main body 10 is substantially rectangular. The main body 10 includes an upper surface 15 (FIG. 1) and a bottom surface 16 (FIG. 3) opposite to the upper surface 15. There is a first sidewall 11, a second sidewall 12, a third sidewall 13, and a fourth sidewall 14 perpendicularly connected between the upper surface 15 and the bottom surface 16. The first, second, third, and fourth sidewalls 11, 12, 13, 14 are connected in turn to form an enclosure. At least one recess portion 17 is defined on one or more of the first, second, third, and fourth sidewalls 11, 12, 13, 14, to facilitate handling of the materials tray 100. A connection portion between the first sidewall 11 and the fourth side wall 14 is recessed towards the enclosure to form an identification portion 18. The identification portion 18 identifies an orientation of the materials tray 100. In this embodiment, one materials tray 100 can be interleaved with another materials tray 100. Thus, a plurality of materials trays 100 can be piled together. When the plurality of materials trays 100 are perpendicularly piled, the identification portions 18 of each of the materials trays 100 are in a single vertical line.

Referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, each of the receiving grooves 20 is recessed from the top surface 15 towards the bottom surface 16. Each receiving groove 20 includes a first receiving portion 21, a second receiving portion 22, and a third receiving portion 13 respectively configured for receiving the first, second, and third materials 201, 202, 203. The first receiving portion 21 includes a first holding surface 211 having a first height and a first positioning side 212 located on the first holding surface 211. The first holding surface 211 is configured to hold the first material 201 in place when the first material 201 is received in the first receiving portion 21. The first positioning side 212 is configured to limit any movement of the first material 201 within the first receiving portion 21.

The second receiving portion 22 includes a second holding surface 221 having a second height and a second positioning side 222 located on the second holding surface 221. The second holding surface 221 adjoins the first holding surface 211 and the second height is greater than the first height. The second holding surface 221 is configured to hold the second material 202 in place when the second material 202 is received in the second receiving portion 22. The second positioning side 222 is configured to limit any movement of the second material 202 within the second receiving portion 22.

The third receiving portion 23 includes a third holding surface 231 having a third height and a third positioning side 232 located on the third holding surface 231. The third holding surface 231 adjoins the second holding surface 221 and the third height is greater than the second height. The third holding surface 231 is configured to hold the third material 203 in place when the third material 203 is received in the third receiving portion 23. The third positioning side 232 is configured to limit any movement of the third material 203 within the third receiving portion 23.

In this embodiment, each spacing portion 30 is between two adjacent receiving grooves 20 to space materials respectively received in the two adjacent receiving grooves 20. The spacing portion 30 defines at least one gap 31 to make the two adjacent receiving grooves 20 communicate with each other via the at least one gap 31, thereby facilitating the extraction of the materials from the receiving grooves 20 via the at least one gap 31. A height of the at least one gap 31 is equal to a height of the receiving groove 20.

Although certain embodiments of the present disclosure have been specifically described, the present disclosure is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various changes or modifications may be made to the present disclosure without departing from the scope thereof. The embodiments described herein are illustrative only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A materials tray for holding materials, comprising: a main body; a plurality of receiving grooves located on the main body; and a plurality of spacing portions; wherein each spacing portion is between two adjacent receiving grooves to separate materials respectively received in the two adjacent receiving grooves, and each spacing portion defines at least one gap to make the two adjacent receiving grooves to communicate with each other via the at least one gap.
 2. The materials tray according to claim 1, wherein the main body comprises an upper surface, a bottom surface opposite to the upper surface, and a first sidewall, a second sidewall, a third sidewall, and a fourth sidewall perpendicularly connected between the upper surface and the bottom surface; the first, second, third, and fourth sidewalls are connected in turn to form an enclosure.
 3. The materials tray according to claim 2, wherein at least one recess portion is defined on one or more of the first, second, third, and fourth sidewalls.
 4. The materials tray according to claim 2, wherein a connection portion between the first sidewall and the fourth side wall is recessed towards the enclosure to form an identification portion to identify an orientation of the materials tray.
 5. The materials tray according to claim 1, wherein each receiving groove comprises a first receiving portion and a second receiving portion respectively configured for receiving a first material and a second material having different dimensions.
 6. The materials tray according to claim 5, wherein the first receiving portion comprises a first holding surface having a first height and a first positioning side located on the first holding surface; the first holding surface is configured to hold the first material in place when the first material is received in the first receiving portion, and the first positioning side is configured to limit any movement of the first material within the first receiving portion.
 7. The materials tray according to claim 6, wherein the second receiving portion comprises a second holding surface having a second height and a second positioning side located on the second holding surface; the second holding surface is configured to hold the second material in place when the second material is received in the second receiving portion, and the second positioning side is configured to limit any movement of the second material within the second receiving portion.
 8. The materials tray according to claim 7, wherein the second holding surface adjoins the first holding surface and the second height is greater than the first height.
 9. The materials tray according to claim 8, wherein each receiving groove further comprises a third receiving portion configured for receiving a third material; the third receiving portion comprises a third holding surface having a third height and a third positioning side located on the third holding surface; the third holding surface is configured to hold the third material in place when the third material is received in the third receiving portion, and the third positioning side is configured to limit any movement of the third material within the third receiving portion.
 10. The materials tray according to claim 9, wherein the third holding surface adjoins the second holding surface and the third height is greater than the second height. 